Improvement in spring-hinges



UNITED STATES PATE-NT rrron.'

ANGUS CRAWFORD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPRlNG-HINGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 33,699, dated December 10,1872.

Vclose the latter by the resilient action of a spring or motor disposed within the barrel or socketed portion or portions of the hinge.

I am aware that a spring-hinge, in the abstract, is not new, and that many attempts in this direction have produced articles of little practical value.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, strong, and reliable hinge, one which shall be effective in operation and little liable to get ont of order; and itconsists in the employment, in that class .of hinges in which a spring is applied to the pintle and a surrounding tube, of a washer surrounding the pintle and having a diameter corresponding with the internal diameter of the tube, which, in conjunction with a screw-cap provided with an annular shoulder, serves to con tine the parts together, and prevent, in a great measure, any play or wear of the parts, by keeping the axis of the pintle coincident with the axis oi' the surrounding tube, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the said drawing, A and A denote the` two halves or leaves of the hinge. B is the pintle, which is firmly secured within the cylindrical parta of the lower half or leaf A', and extends upward andhas a male screw cut upon its upper end. C is an annular washer, which is disposed around the lower part of the pintle. The said pintle extends up through the tubular part b ofthe leaf A, the lower part of the tube 'embracing the washer and resting upon the top of the cylinder a. D is a screwcap, which screws upon the top of the pintle, and serves to confine the parts together. This screw-cap has an annular shoulder, c, formed upon its lower surface, suchA shoulder having a diameter corresponding with that of the washer C, and both corresponding with the internal diameter of the tube b, the said washer and shoulder, acting in conjunction, serving to maintain the tube b in its true normal position with respect to the axis of the pintle. E is a coiled plate spring, which is disposed around the pintle and is enveloped by the tube b. Each extremity of this spring is bent at a right angle, forming anges d d, the finner one ot'.

which, d', enters a groove made longitudinally in the pintle, as shown in Fig. 2, while its other end or flange d is received within a groove made longitudinally in the Vinner face of the tube b. 4- y The spring may have any desirable number ot' coils, such as will impart to it the desired degree of resilient force. The lower end of the spring rests upon the washer C, while its upper endiinpinges against the lower face of the screw-cap D. From the above it will be seen that the two halves or leaves, of my spring may be readily detached from each other, and the spring removed whenever it may be desirable.

Having described my invention, what I claim as an improved article of manufacture 1s- The improved hinge, as described, consisting of the leaves A Al and tube b, pintle B, washer C ot' the saine diameter as the internal diameter of the tube b, screw-cap D having an annular shoulder, c, and spring E, all

arranged, constructed, and operated as set forth. Y

ANGUS CRAWFORD. 1 W'itnesses:

F. P. HALE, F. C. HALE. 

